Scientists believe this decreased absorption may be due to the ingredient’s higher ash and lower essential amino acid content.2

What’s worse, this particular item is anonymous. Since there’s no mention of a specific animal, this ingredient could come from almost anywhere: spoiled supermarket meat, roadkill, dead, diseased or dying livestock — even euthanized farm animals.

Even though meat and bone meals are still considered protein-rich meat concentrates, we do not consider a generic ingredient like this a quality item.

The third ingredient is corn germ meal, a meal made from ground corn germ after much of the oil has been removed. Corn germ meal is a protein-rich by-product left over after milling corn meal, hominy grits and other corn products.

However, the protein found in corn germ meal must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The fourth ingredient is corn distillers grains with solubles, a by-product of the ethanol (bio-fuel) industry. This low quality ingredient is frequently found in cattle feed and only rarely used to make pet food.

Unfortunately, the variations in nutrient content found in wheat middlings can be a critical issue in determining their suitability for use in any dog food — or even livestock feeds.3

In reality, wheat middlings are nothing more than milling dust and floor sweepings — and an ingredient more typically associated with lower quality pet foods.

The sixth item is animal fat. Animal fat is a generic by-product of rendering, the same high-temperature process used to make meat meals.

Since there’s no mention of a specific animal, this item could come from almost anywhere: roadkill, spoiled supermarket meat, dead, diseased or dying cattle — even euthanized pets.

For this reason, we do not consider generic animal fat a quality ingredient.

The seventh ingredient is rice bran, a healthy by-product of milling whole grain rice. The bran is the fiber-rich outer layer of the grain containing starch, protein, fat as well as vitamins and minerals.

The eighth ingredient is soybean meal, a by-product of soybean oil production more commonly found in farm animal feeds.

Although soybean meal contains 48% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The ninth ingredient is poultry by-product meal, a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of slaughtered poultry after all the prime cuts have been removed.

On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh poultry.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With four notable exceptions…

First, animal digest is a chemically hydrolyzed mixture of animal by-products that is typically sprayed onto the surface of a dry kibble to improve its taste.

Next, we’re always disappointed to find artificial coloring in any pet food. That’s because coloring is used to make the product more appealing to humans — not your dog. After all, do you really think your dog cares what color his kibble is?

In addition, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.

And lastly, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.

Shep Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Shep Dog Food looks like a below average dry product.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

When you consider the protein-boosting effects of the corn germ meal and soybean meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a limited amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Shep Dog Food is a plant-based kibble using a limited amount of meat and bone meal as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 1 star.

Not recommended.

Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content.

Special Alert

Because we’re unable to locate complete label information for this product on the company’s website, we’re compelled to rely on older data that may no longer be accurate.

So, recipe changes and ingredient substitutions may not be apparent to our research staff or consumers.

For this reason, we recommend shoppers use caution when considering the purchase of this dog food.

A Final Word

The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.

The Dog Food Advisor does not test dog food products.

We rely almost entirely on the integrity of the information posted by each company on its website. As such, the accuracy of every review is directly dependent upon the quality of the test results from any specific batch of food a company chooses to publish.

Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.

Each review is offered in good faith and has been designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food.

However, due to the biological uniqueness of every animal, none of our ratings are intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific dietary response or health benefit for your pet.

Whenever you try a new kibble you only add 1/4 cup new the rest old kibble to a cup, you do this for 2 days I do it for 4 days then you add 1/2 new & 1/2 old for 2 days then 3/4 cup new the rest old for 2 days then finally on the 7th day your on the new kibble..

Bob K

Deb – Read the ingredients on both the Kirklands and Sheps bags of kibbles. Huge difference. You slowly transition to a new dog food. Kirklands is the way to go as it is a 4 star rated kibble and SHeps is 1 star.

LabsRawesome

Costco’s Kirkland is a 4 star food, you should stick with that.

Debbie Anderson

We have been feeding our medium sized collie/lab/chow Costco’s Kirkland chicken and rice dry food but was running out so grabbed a bag of Shep while at Aldi. Not sure if it was the food, but last night was her 1st feeding of Shep and during the wee hours of this morning, she left huge diarrhea accidents on the carpets. Never has accidents. Needless to say, I’m not taking the chance for a repeat.

ShepAussie

I noticed she replied to herself as well.

LabsRawesome

Ikr? I was really surprised.

theBCnut

Who would have thought that they would bother to make a decent canned with dry ingredients like that.

LabsRawesome

Yeah, I agree, about the dry. I only looked at the one kind. I was kind of in a hurry, I had to pick my son up from School. Not sure if it’s newer or what. Select Dinner Chicken recipe looks halfway decent. But still not something a would but all the time. I might use a can here and there tho, in a pinch.

Dori

That’s so interesting Labs cause the dry ingredients are actually kind of horrifying. That such a big discrepancy.

LabsRawesome

There is no review for Shep canned. I was running low on cans, and I was at Aldi. So I decided to take a look at Shep, mainly to see how gross the ingredients would be. I picked up a can of Shep called Select Dinner With Chicken & Rice. I was SO surprised when the ingredients were not nasty. Water for processing, chicken, chicken liver, brewer’s rice, vitamin and mineral supplements. It’s product of Canada. No added flavors or preservatives. Affco approved for all life stages. Shep canned isn’t something I would buy all the time, but a couple cans here and there won’t hurt anything. I hardly ever run low on the 4 and5 star canned foods I usually feed.

moltke cromwill

This food gave my shepherd explosive diarrhea for the last few days. Switching back to his original formula.

LabsRawesome

They changed manufacturers to an inferior product because they want to get the most $$ by using the cheapest ingredients available, and charging the same price. They don’t give a crap about dogs.

Frank J. Casella

You make some valid points, Aaron Tom, and it’s perfectly fine to feed Shep if that is all you can afford. Aldi is my go-to store and everything they sell is just as good quality if not better than the big brands, as you know. I just don’t understand why they would change manufacturers to an inferior formula. We tried it and it didn’t register right with one of my dogs. If you read my OP we switched from Diamond Naturals because after several years on it both dogs reacted to it at the same time. That was seventy-cents a pound at Menards. Shep was fifty-cents. Rachel Ray is a dollar eighteen with coupons, cheaper than Pure Balance at Wal-Mart. RR NO LONGER OFFERS COUPONS. so to update all of you, we switched to Chicken soup Adult, as I learned the Large Breed formula we fed in the past is what upset my dogs. This is a dollar twelve a pound and the most holistic for the price. That is my reason for posting here, to help those who can’t afford the two star and above foods. So, don’t be offended if I don’t reply to your comments.

LabsRawesome

Hi Aaron Tom, No, I’m not judging you, if 8 dollars is really all you have
to spend each month on dog food, then you’re doing the best you can. But
if you can afford to spend $20 to $23 you can get a much higher quality
dog food. Rachael Ray Zero Grain ( Walmart ) 4health grain inclusive or
grain free (Tractor Supply) Authority grain free (Petsmart) all foods I
suggested are 15lb to 18lb bags, and rated 3 to 4 stars. BTW if you
go down 2 posts from this one, Frank has decided that Shep is a low
quality food, and has switched to Rachael Ray just 6 about a month ago.

LabsRawesome

Hi Aaron Tom, No, I’m not judging you, if 8 dollars is really all you have
to spend each month on dog food, then you’re doing the best you can. But
if you can afford to spend $20 to $23 you can get a much higher quality
dog food. Rachael Ray Zero Grain ( Walmart ) 4health grain inclusive or
grain free (Tractor Supply) Authority grain free (Petsmart) all foods I
suggested are 15lb to 18lb bags, and rated 3 to 4 stars. BTW if you
go down 2 posts from this one, Frank has decided that Shep is a low
quality food, and has switched to Rachael Ray just 6 about a month ago.

LabsRawesome

Hi Frank, I’m so glad you switched!! Have you tried RR Zero grain? It’s a 4 star food, it costs around $23 for 15lbs at Walmart, other stores in your area might carry it as well.

http://enria.org/ Storm’s Mom

Please feed your pet something better than this one or Pedigree!! Pure Balance is a pretty decent food you can get at Walmart and it’s not that much more expensive, given that you’ll feed less of it than this one or Pedigree!

lisa

Have to say I ran across this article while searching for problems with the food due the fact that both my dogs…a 16 month old pit and a 8 year old weimerainer where both getting sick(vomiting) daily when i tried giving them each a half can of shep wet food with their pedigree hard food. They generally both have strong stomach so Ive gotta wonder why this food has such a very bad affect on them. At 1/2 can a day you wouldnt think it would do that much damage but it did. So please be careful if you feed your pets this

InkedMarie

Hiya, Frank! I just “liked” your fb page a day or two ago! How long have you been using RR? Results?

Frank J. Casella

As I posted above, if i change from Shep Dry Dog Food I’d let you know. Well, if you read this thread you will see that Aldi has two different formulas. Now, that is not the case. They seem to be selling the formula rated here and no longer the formula made my Hi-Tek Rations. So, because the formula rated here is inferior to the previous my family has, through trial and error with our dog’s, switched to Rachael Ray Nutrish Just 6 Dog Food. Too, the cost with coupons ( from the RR website ) is about $1/ pound which might interest you if you’re buying Shep for the price.

LabsRawesome

Oh sorry LawofRaw. I meant to reply to Blue Bird Vision. She mentioned that Aldi’s is in 3 US states, and I thought she was claiming those to be the only 3.

LawofRaw

Yeah I know. I said before they are global. :P. Well if Mr. Casella did any good, it was stir up conversation about Aldi in general being a good store, minus the drag of a dog food they sell, lol.

LawofRaw

Which chat rooms? I wouldn’t have thought anybody would be talking about something as monotonous and uninteresting as Julius (Shep) outside this site (this site being the foremost and most comprehensive site on the internet for dog food good and bad, irrespective of it being in the USA.

LabsRawesome

Aldi’s is pretty much global. They have stores in at least half of the U.S. With new stores opening in Texas. http://www.aldiuscareers.com/location.aspx And Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland.

Blue Bird Vision

Well, LawofRaw’s message just came to my phone, so I replied, because I was the one talking to them before.

Cyndi

That’s kind of what I said…

Blue Bird Vision

NY is New York, NJ is New Jersey, PA is Pennsylvania. These are northeast american states.

Frank J. Casella

I did an internet search and it seems in the chat rooms outside the USA they talk about Julius instead of Shep?

LawofRaw

Oh right, thanks for the clarification.

Cyndi

NJ (New Jersey), PA (Pennsylvania) and you are correct about NY.

LawofRaw

I don’t know what NJ or PA is. I’m guessing NY is New York. Nice smile in your pic by the way.

LawofRaw

But this Shep and similar poor 1 star foods shouldn’t take away from some of the really good products Aldi do tend to sell at great competitive values over their competitors. I bought my mum nice quality dining table entertainer. She loved it. Something of the same calibre could fetch up to twice the price in other stores. I bought a few other things while there too. But this dog food and Julius dog foods from Aldi are out of the question as far as I’m concerned and can stay on their shelves. Funny, I spent an hour in the store and didn’t see anyone go anywhere near the Julius food. Then it could also be just that that one hour, no one happened to need dog food.

LawofRaw

Me neither. I dropped into one of my local Aldi stores to check a few things out thanks to this recent discussion, and the fact that I also haven’t been in an Aldi store for a while, and couldn’t find any Shep dog food. Found only one brand they were selling called Julius. Not much difference in ingredients and nutrient percentage profiles. Just a different label in “Julius”.

Blue Bird Vision

They’re NJ, PA, and NY too.

Blue Bird Vision

Exactly! 50 lbs of food for $20 is insane for someone who wants to keep their dog alive (and doesn’t care about the future cons). But, the higher price tag means higher quality ingredients, a wider variety of greater ingredients, and different way of processing it. Some people don’t have the knowledge of pets and just think “food is food,” like I did years ago. After I saw an Iams commercial with the sugar charts, I hit the ground researching and lo behold, my hound was dying at the hand of Walmart’s selfishness and my ignorance.

No one will admit to that unless they’ve come face to face with their animal’s deterioration like I did. It’s sad, really, that I had to find out like that.

Blue Bird Vision

I was just irritated from before. Sorry, Labs. Plus, my iPad was freaking out when Disqus was trying to load, so I might’ve clicked reply on my own post. All I wanted to say is that these one star foods are awful. Let’s get that fact on the table. But, when people say “I’ve been feeding that food for _ years and my dog is fine,” others shouldn’t chastise them. To each is own, is what I say always. Sorry for the sass.

JellyCat

I get my sardines (for the dog and a cat) at Walmart. Not a Walmart brand but it is 99 cents a tin.

JellyCat

You just have to agree that you are feeding and advertizing poor quality food. Who cares what your reasons are?

Never mind if your kid loves Kraft dinners above all. Shall we then discuss if we feed her “no name” bran or Kraft?

LabsRawesome

It’s entirely possible. LMAO.

Storm’s Mom

That thought crossed my mind, especially when I saw that Frank J. Casella was one of the 2 people who up voted her post. The other was a “Guest”. Hmmm…

Cyndi

Maybe she’s one of “them”? The multiple people. Lol!

& now they’re taking to just arguing with themselves! LOL!

LabsRawesome

She’s pissed at me. I somehow got “smart” with her? I re-read my original post, I’m not seeing how I got smart with her?! I think she is creating a problem, where there was none.

LabsRawesome

LMAO. Who got smart with you? Me? Um, no I didn’t, but whatever.

Storm’s Mom

I’m sorry, but I’m tooootally confused as to what the point of your post(s) is…?

Blue Bird Vision

Don’t get smart with me. I said JUST fine. I know there are internal effects that we cannot see. That’s why people go to Walmart and stand by Ol’ Roy and all of that other crap. They think that as long as the dog can wag their tail and blink, the food is fine when it isn’t. Any idiot knows that, so don’t have an attitude. It’s not like I could’ve italicized my words. I thought it was pretty obvious on my stance when I said “they’re not at their full potential.” This is why I rarely comment on these things, because people jump on their high horse talking about what quality of food their feeding their dog is way more superior than another brand, being ignorant and not taking a new perspective on WHY people feed particular foods.

I understand what you’re saying, but some people can’t afford to feed their kids and pets well and we can’t judge. For Christmas, I buy my neighbor’s pit a 30 lb bag of Candiae, not because they can’t afford it, but because they’ve been feeding their dogs a certain brand for thirty years. To each is own. All we can do is share our knowledge calmly.

malrescueSATX

For a long time I was that way too. I didn’t know what I was reading and Beneful has never really been recalled. So I took that as a quality food. Yes I was stupid and my Tova suffered for it. Now I know better. Unfortunately it cost me my heart and soul (Tova)

LabsRawesome

How do you know that their “fine”? You can’t see their insides. Dogs being fed Shep, and all the other NO quality “dog foods” may seem okay, but they will never experience their full potential, or “thrive” on floor sweepings with added vitamins. Not Possible. No, they are the dogs that have gray muzzles at 4 or 5 years old. And look much older than their age. While the dogs being fed correctly, with species appropriate foods, will still be jumping up catching frisbees at 10 yrs, and beyond.

LabsRawesome

Um, yeah, I do know. Have you read any of my posts? I will NEVER buy Shep or any other 1 star food. I feed mostly 5 star canned, with fresh foods. And a small amount of 3.5, 4, and 5 star grain free kibble. You say Shep uses higher quality ingredients. Floor sweepings are the same quality, no matter which low quality 1 star food their in. I feed species appropriate foods. Not low quality garbage.

Pattyvaughn

Some people are reading the claims on the packaging and actually believing them. How ridiculous is that!!

Melissaandcrew

Often times I find that people who don’t have a clue what they are reading ultimately resort to a brand they recognize versus one they don’t Pure balance is not as recognizable as say Pedigree or Purina etc.

Melissaandcrew

Thanks for asking? I never asked you a question, I made a statement. I don’t think its a matter of choosing quality, I think its a matter of reading the label, making sure it the dog food doesn’t say “arsenic’ and thinking “if they sell it, it must be fine” People have been duped into believing “if its sold, it must be okay” and we all know that is not true. Lets be honest, People shop at these types of places to BUY THINGS CHEAP. No more, no less. For the right price point, they are willing to sacrifice a bit. Don’t get me wrong. I have no problem shopping walmart or aldi for things that hold no importance in my life..paper products, minor food items etc. If I were in Aldi and they had a good deal on meat, would I get it? Sure, but I would not eat it 214/7 and expect its the best of the best for me. Shrug.

InkedMarie

Truly boggles the mind

somebodysme

Yeah and the moon is made of blue cheese too…gaaaah! I have to say that when I’ve gone to ALDI, which is about twice a week, I have NEVER once seen anyone buying any dog food or even looking at it!

Hound Dog Mom

Well that’s the thing that was most confusing. I saw him look at both Pure Balance and Purina One Beyond. How could someone read “chicken, chicken meal, whole oatmeal…” [Purina One Beyond] or “chicken, chicken meal, brown rice…” [Pure Balance] and end up picking “ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal…” [Beneful]?? Mind boggling.

Storm’s Mom

Yes, you can read the labels and leave with that if you don’t understand what you’re reading ..or you don’t care

Betsy Greer

The sad thing is, there are a couple of pretty decent choices at Wal-Mart, too. Choices far better than Beneful. Heck, I’ve got a $5.00 coupon good on any size bag of Rachael Ray Zero Grain Nutrish that I have to remember to use next time I’m at Wal-Mart.

Storm’s Mom

I don’t see much difference between those who are comparing and feeding 1 and 2 star foods and ones who are just feeding 1 and 2 star foods. It’s not about the people, it’s about the dogs.. the dogs are all still getting crap food regardless of how their humans are going about their “decision making” (and I use that term loosely).

Frank J. Casella

The people who shop wal-mart for dog food … they are the ones that are not comparing the one and two star foods on this site, as I said. I’ve seen that too in wal-mart by the way.

Hound Dog Mom

Some people might be just really really clueless. I was in Walmart a couple weeks ago and saw something that just baffled me. I went to check out the pet aisle (I have to do that anytime I go into any store selling pet stuff, I just like to check things out) and there was this man in the dog food aisle. He went through the aisle and read the ingredients list on about every food there. I tried not to make it too obvious I was watching him lol. He was there a long time and after reading all the labels he left with…Beneful. I was like what? Who can read the labels and leave with that?

Cyndi

Cool! I live in Lake county. OMG, you’re right! The bugs are nuts this year and those gnats! I’ve never seen so many gnats flying around any dog I’ve ever had! I’ve been keeping Bailey in as much as I can, and she’s very willing to stay in when it’s this bad. I think I heard 93 today and the humidity is disgusting!

Frank J. Casella

Yes, us American’s rationalize a bit too much, don’t we?. But first, I have to say that Dr. Mike and DFA has made a tremendous impact not only on the dog food industry but consumers as well. You’re talking about two different kinds of shoppers I think. Sam Walton of Wal-Mart was about low price and blow it out the door. The German’s who own Aldi have a different mission of quality with value. … And that is the type of educated shopper they attract. Of the literally over 100 people I talked to at Aldi over several months, most of them mentioned this site. Not to find a three or four star food, but they compared the one and two star foods with Shep. Their reasons were more than its cheap food and its just a dog. It was more often like my dogs have live one Shep for more the X years, or my first dog was on another one star food and I want to give them better quality. Many also said that their dog’s turn their noses at the three star food and up, and Shep is the best ( balance nutrition dog food ) we could find. So they, like me, are making a decision about quality and what works for our dog’s. My King Shepherd, for example, many people “joke” that she is like the daughter I never had. I love that dog … She love my family. And she love Shep like no other. No advertising here, just matter of fact. Thanks for asking

Melissaandcrew

With all due respect, if I stood outside wally world and asked every one who left with Old roy why do they use it, I would expect the same responses. No one is going to be honest and say Its dirt cheap, its just a dog and I am too cheap. I find that its human nature to justify our decisions in life by saying “its all good” rather than sit and pull apart our own decisions and have to face reality.

somebodysme

Mahoning county…it’s too hot for me! My dog even hates it and the bugs…good lard the bugs! HAHA! My dog is so pestered by all those darn gnats.

Cyndi

Where about in Ohio are you? I’m from N.E. Ohio. How are you liking this tropical weather? I hate it! Lol!

somebodysme

The Aldi here they are 99 cents, I’m in Ohio. Also I can’t find anything except for the “saucy” ones @ Aldi.

What Da

Man your so full of it. sorry to say but you are!!!! Your playing us like dummies. Your reading from a script selling Aldi and crap dog food. Why. you insulkting peoples intelligence. Its not half obvious dude!!!!

Frank J. Casella

By the way, the Sardines are huge from Aldi. … and (smell) real fresh out of the can.

Frank J. Casella

That’s what I said over a year ago about Shep – ” I would never serve that to my dogs “. But I was curious why both the dry and wet food fly out the door, as I’m in Aldi several times a week ( some guys go to the hardware store, I go to Aldi ), so I started asking around when I saw someone buying it. Then when my dog’s walked away from Diamond I decided to give it a try (to rule it out), and was quite surprised. That was six months ago. So, you never know and I learned on this one never to say never.

Blue Bird Vision

At Aldi’s, this food is super cheap. We have to remember that some stores want to “help” their customers by lowering the price. Some of my neighbors feed this and their dogs are fine. Just fine. They’re alive, but they’re not at their full potential.

And why are people trying to “weed out” if people work for the store or not? WHO CARES? I’ve been shopping at Aldi’s for over ten years, along with other supermarkets and manufacturers. I’d rather feed Shep than Ol’ Roy (and everyone knows I’m infatuated with Walmart). Or, if I couldn’t afford the dog food, I’d go BACK to Aldi’s, buy their well-priced meats and vegetables and cook for myself AND my dog! So ha!

You should know any store or company is going to try to cover their butts in order to make money!

Hound Dog Mom

I’ll have to check out Aldi’s for sardines – I’m paying (I believe) $1.09 a tin at Hannaford. Thanks for the tip.

LabsRawesome

I shop at Aldi, everything is cheap because it is their own brand. They do carry some national brands, but not many. They have eggs for 69 cents a dozen. And wild caught Sardines in spring water are under a dollar per can. Their spring water is $2.79 for 24 bottles. Their produce and fruit are good quality and cheap .89 cents for a head of lettuce. And they had carrots for 69 cents a bag yesterday. I also got 1lb of Strawberries for .89 I got a big head of Broccoli for $1.29 Florida oranges are $2.99 for 5lbs. I could go on and on about the great bargains there. I personally use boxes, when I go, they are easily found throughout the store. I also use reusable cloth bags. One thing I would never buy there is Shep dog food.

Shawna

LOL!!! Well thank you Storm’s Mom!!!

Melissaandcrew

Love the Ultra Pro. My dogs had to eat a lot of the regular als grainfree to hold weight. Even after increasing the amounts fed most lost a couple lbs

And just to be clear, I don’t feed this food nor to I endorse it. I work at a specialty pet supply store and I feed Grain Free Victor.

Erin Greener

I do whole hearted agree that this an absolutely awful food to feed a dog. It lacks a lot of necessary meat-based protein sources and contains too many waste ingredients. From another viewpoint, at least it doesn’t contain any artificial preservatives like BHA and propylene glycol so for the dollar its a teeny little half step above something like Beneful. If someone was in a dire financial situation and only had access to 1 star foods for the time being, it’s the lesser of 2 evils.

LawofRaw

Why is Shawna a smart lady if she decided to stay out of this? You should adhere to most of what she is teaching you! So she is a smart lady if she indeed contributes and not stay out of it!

You seem to contradict yourself too often. Now you say your message is that you’re not sold on Shep? Yet how many times have you stated that you are, in similar wording such as that overwhelming positive reviews on it…..my dogs do so well on it more than all the other foods they tried….how come my dogs are so healthy on it and blah blah blah…..Who are you trying to kid??

Realise that this post is not resorting to name calling, or derogatory remarks, but rather putting things to you bluntly and honestly and holding you to account to what you say.

I simply don’t believe you and believe that you are involved somehow with Aldi and or both Shep and Aldi. I’m allowed to believe that and that’s what I believe, based on subtle evidence.

Storm’s Mom

re: “the thing that sold me on Shep the most to try it was the overwhelming amount of people I’ve found in Aldi buying the food who’ve fed it five to ninteen years to their Dog’s with no issues.”

I’m sorry but I have a really hard time believing that there are all these people who go to this particular supermarket and buy dog food, let alone this particular dog food…and that you are actually in there often enough to run into an “overwhelming amount of people” who are buying this food (and if you are, I kinda feel sorry for you, honestly). And that all these people had all this perfect experience feeding this food. Like just about everything else you’ve said since you’ve arrived on DFA, it sounds an awful lot like marketing spin/bs, and nothing more.

Pitbull Dad

How dumb do you think people are? Your so smart you and your wooing and melling over.

Dave’s Hounds

I don’t know if I have ever seen one – I refuse to go anywhere I have to bag my own groceries – so bringing my own bags would def be out!

beaglemom

Yes, some things must just be accepted. However, if we each have a dog that dies early of cancer, i can at least say that I did everything I could to prevent it. Are you able to say the same?

Storm’s Mom

I know, but I feel compelled to try..for the dog’s sake.

LabsRawesome

He doesn’t really want to be educated. Because, well you know, Shep cures ruptured ligaments, and floor sweepings are species appropriate foods for dogs. And I saw pigs flying around outside this morning. LMAO.

Hey Shawna! I kind of figured you’d be staying out of this, smart Lady! But glad you jumped in too!

I think what everyone said in response to my question to educate is EXCELLENT!!. Now, when people come to this thread to learn about Shep they’ll see a well rounded discussion to make a decision whatever it may be. Thanks Dr. Mike for your work and vision in making this site available.

Shawna, I want you to know that my wife and I read most everything you sent me in links, and I’m now reading the ” The Devil in the Milk” book. Great information. Thanks very much!

The bottom line for me is that I’m not sold on Shep like many here seem to think. And I was surprised when Betsy shared how the formula of Shep that I buy is made by Hi-Tek ( Shep is made my multiple manufacturers ). Hi-Tek claims on their site that even their cheap food surpasses the quality of grocery store brands, which explains to me why Aldi would have them manufacture their dog food ( don’t know why not all of it ), and why my dog’s are doing so great compared to everything else we’ve fed them ( Makes me want to look into Hi-Tek food? ).

We have fed our dog’s food’s from all the stars on this site. Testimonials are important, and the thing that sold me on Shep the most to try it was the overwhelming amount of people I’ve found in Aldi buying the food who’ve fed it five to ninteen years to their Dog’s with no issues.

Likewise, in the vets office last month I spoke with a woman who fed her dog an ultra expensive brand for ten years and her dog now has cancer. The same thing goes on with humans. I was at a funeral last week for a family member who’s in her 40’s who died of stage four cancer … all she ate was whole foods all her life. Some tings are just not meant for us to figure out, but accept.

Looking at how crazy the dog food industry is, and the testimonials, we have decided to take our chances. I also make my decisions guided by my faith:

God has sovereign power over His creation and has delegated the authority to mankind to have dominion over the animals (Genesis 1:26, 28).

Very small grocery+plus type store like half the size of a small Walmart Neighborhood Grocery but even cheaper! You have to rent a buggie for 25 cents too.

LawofRaw

Aldi is also a chain of supermarket and miscellaneous stores in Australia. It is a German company with a global chain of stores. They pride themselves on cheaper and alternative brand groceries with lots of brands also being German.Their product shelves are just pallets with the products stacked on top of each other and everything is a no fuss attitude. You have to bring your own shopping bags as they provide none unless you buy one of those durable shopping bags. It’s an environmental thing which is a good thing and everything is geared toward cost saving.

Storm’s Mom

No, he live in the Chicago area. Apparently it’s a supermarket (food plus some non-food stuff) in some regions of the US.

Dave’s Hounds

what is Aldi – are you from another country?

Storm’s Mom

Shawna – I hadn’t thought about the detox period contributing to the limp returning!!! Great point!!!! So glad you did decide to jump into this situation afterall!

http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

I had one foster who appeared healthy and ended dying of cancer On the outside, he looked great, soft and fluffy and active.

LawofRaw

You know, I find it strange that you ask that question. You’ve instigated the debate about this and Shep a few weeks ago when you sang and keep singing its praises, and yet I’ve watched you being educated by in particular, Shawna, of whom, I might add, you’ve warmed up to and vice versa. And the fact that you stated you’d consider and were opened to what Shawna posted. And now, you’ve revisited the topic of Shep and continue singing its praises like you’ve learned nothing at all!

You have a right to, given we’re all free to post what we want, to a limited degree, and within scope of the topic at hand, but if you continue singing Shep’s praises, I’m also going to continue throwing it back in your face, figuratively speaking (civilly).

somebodysme

You know, there are people that suck on two liter cokes all day and they cannot for the life of them figure out why they are fat. This is the same mentality you are trying to convince that a dog eating corn(GMO!) bread is not going to be healthy. Some people just cannot wrap their brains around it.

LawofRaw

No, these things of topic we’re talking about are meant to be figured out. They don’t fall in the “aren’t meant to be figured out” category or subject.

“By the way, in my research I did learn that by you the Shep is made by Australian Pet Brands.”……I didn’t advise you that so you didn’t “learn” that by me!

There’s hardly any difference between this poison of a dog food and Purina Dog Chow, Beneful, and Pedigree for some examples. I pulled them all side by side and compared the ingredients, and they’re all similar in composition. Differences are the order, and what name some used. The only real difference if hardly any at all is that your beloved Shep and Pedigree don’t seem to contain artificial vitamin K (K3).

Unfortunately here in Australia, whilst Aldi is a really competitive grocery store and does have some good human product choices or alternatives over our major supermarkets, people who buy such list of pet foods like Shep and the others I listed are mainly those who actually don’t know any better, and those who are on a very low budget, and simply can not afford a better dog food. (That’s a different story all together as they are not educated in being able to choose more wisely but I’m sure I could assist in that department here in Australia at least, in starting with what types of human table scraps to start off with etc). And so those types of consumers eventually are the ones lining up down the future in seeing the local vets. Some having pets be put on ongoing chronic treatments for those owners who may muster up some more from their budget to afford, or those who simply have them put down by the vet. Because most of these foods eventually cause life threatening diseases such as one of the most common being cancer.

That’s all that’s going to happen with your continual irresponsible praising and marketing of this atrocious pet food. You can say what you want, but you don’t have me fooled, sir.

Shawna

Hi Frank! How have you and your family been?

I’ve been purposefully staying out of this but I had to comment on your post.

Bright eyes and lustrous coat are absolutely things we want to see in our pups but they are in no way a end all be all determination of optimal health. Take my Audrey as an example — she has a FANTASTIC coat (VERY soft, VERY pigmented/white, and shiny) and very bright eyes. Yet Audrey has had kidney disease her whole life.

Something to think about — about 70% of the kidneys have to be gone before symptoms begin to appear. That holds true for disease in general. I like the following video by Certified Clinical Nutritionist Radhia Gleis. She states – if absolute health is 100 and death is 0 — it isn’t until about 30 that symptoms show up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMiBuAWvDB0

Linoleic Acid is an omega fatty acid that is necessary for proper coat health. Certain grains are a good source and chicken is an excellent source. However, when too much LA is provided (more than the body can use) it converts to AA which is an inflammatory fatty acid. EVENTUALLY this increased inflammatory condition will result in symptoms.

This food is loaded with lectins too. Lectins can cause anything from kidney to heart disease to arthritis to brain damage (I just read a few days ago). These are all diseases that won’t manifest immediately.

It also doesn’t surprise me that the limp came back on the other food. Remember me discussing a period of detox also referred to as a “healing episode”. Symptoms can worsen during the healing process. An example — my Pom had severe luxating patella in one back knee and slightly milder in the second. Her vet did a procedure called prolotherapy in which she injected a saline based solution into the knee to cause localized inflammation which then caused the body to heal itself. By supplying more of the nutrients (protein etc) that the body needs to repair you very well could have caused a similar opportunity for the body to repair the damaged area.

Yes, price is not always an indication of quality. But you simply can’t make a quality food out of poor quality ingredients such as corn, soy, wheat middlings and synthetic dyes. The body is always either heading towards disease or towards health. I will bet my reputation that this food, in time, will result in a health status much closer to 0 than to 100..

Storm’s Mom

Well, in terms of the things a human can see/measure: muscle tone, stamina, balanced energy, focus, stool size/amount/frequency/consistency… those are the things that immediately come to mind, at any rate.

In terms of what’s going on on the inside, I’ve got a holistic vet that I trust to take care of things I don’t understand or know about, but I also have a pretty good understanding of how all of the above …good health, generally … is achieved nutritionally in a human (former national team swimmer) – high protein, moderate fat, low carbs, generally speaking – and my 25ish years experience with dogs has told me that it’s not much difference with them. So, I base on my food choices for Storm on that….and tested things out along the way, feeding foods rated 3, 4 and 5 star here (in random order – he’s gone from a 5 star to a 3 star and back, for example), and without exception all of those things are noticeably better on a 5 star kibble, for example, than they are on a 3 star kibble of the same protein(s).

Frank J. Casella

What else then? Educate, that is what this site is about!

Storm’s Mom

No, I would not agree that 2 things that a human being notices/appreciates about a dog indicates complete internal and external nutritional satisfaction of that animal. To make that kind of judgement based on that evidence seems to be the height of human arrogance, frankly.

Frank J. Casella

I don’t understand it either, LawofRaw, but then some things are not meant to figure out. We just accept them for what they are.

By the way, in my research I did learn that by you the Shep is made by Australian Pet Brands. Please know that, although Aldi is my go to store, it took me a really long time to buy Shep until I asked people buying it why and heard all the positive comments.

LawofRaw

I personally don’t mind your right to post nonsense as I’ve read so far, but this one now has got to be the most nonsense you’ve posted. Come on Frank, reveal what your actual caper with Aldi really is? I’ll have to drop by an Australian Aldi store just to see if they sell Shep down here, for curiousity stakes, so that I can give them my negative feedback on it.

EDIT: I should clarify…my negative feedback on its composition and not experience feeding it. But seriously, given its composition, it can’t alter the laws of physics, biology and nutrition.

Frank J. Casella

Would you agree that the bloom of good nutritional health – the bright eyes and lustrous coat – that indicate complete nutritional satisfaction?

If so, then that is what this food is doing for my dog’s. That is what I’ve been saying all along.

Storm’s Mom

re: “For all I know there maybe something Shep does not have that caused the limp to go away that the other foods to, I don’t know?”

Are you willing to find out by feeding other foods that do not contain ingredients of the specific formulae you’ve tried before on which your dog’s limp was noticeable?

To me, this is the question, and the one that you seem to keep saying “no” to, specifically because you can then say “my dog’s limp went away on this food!!” – by implication and indirectly crediting this particular food, and only this particular food – with impunity. That’s the huge problem I, personally, have with this whole situation.

Frank J. Casella

I agree that Shep is not magical, I never said that. I shared my experience with using the food. For all I know there maybe something Shep does not have that caused the limp to go away that the other foods to, I don’t know?

As I said in another post this morning, I thought that pet food formulation is subjected to stricter standards than most human food? That’s because pet food makes up the entirety of a pet’s diet, so it has to deliver all of the nutrients they need. That’s why pet foods so often use the phrase “complete and balanced.”

Again, I’m just sharing my experiences like Dr. Mike asks on the About page: “Here’s how you can help us grow a valuable dog food resource…Simply share what you know about any dog food we review with the rest of us.Your personal experience with different dog foods could provide valuable information for everyone. So, please leave your comments and opinions after any review you read.”

LabsRawesome

I wish I could down vote this ridiculous post more than once. Feeding a dog waste products WILL NOT cure a ruptured ligament. How can you say “you can’t go by ingredients alone”? That is retarded. Ingredients are what makes up the food. A food cannot magically be better than the ingredients used to make it. And Shep is made from floor sweepings, that have no business being put in a so called dog food. The ingredients in Shep, belong in the TRASH, PERIOD.

LabsRawesome

Any sane person feeding Shep, that comes here and sees the review, will switch to a higher quality food. There are 15 red flag ingredients in this poor excuse for “dog food”. The only ingredients that aren’t red flagged, are the vitamin/minerals for cripes sake! SHAMEFUL.

JellyCat

I did adopt in the past to homes that feed low quality. However, they did that because the didn’t know any better. I did some teaching and now they do much better for their pets.

If owner are aware that what they feed is bad for their pet but continue feeding it’s truly a shame. Some people just don’t care.

InkedMarie

Yep, I’m sure. I know what its like to have a sick dog & no money. When our first got sick, then died, in the early 90’s, we didn’t have the money but they let us pay over time as we had always paid our vet bills

LabsRawesome

I bet she would go to the Doctor, if she was sick….

InkedMarie

I agree with that. Not food related but on fb, I had a bit of an argument with a dog owner who’s 8yr old is pooping tarry looking stool. Can’t afford the vet, kept posting bout her bf/husbands ex wife “raping” them with child support. Didn’t like my comment that I don’t care about the situation, that they had a living, breathing being that needed help. Also didn’t like my “can’t afford the vet, don’t have the vet” comment. Oops.

LabsRawesome

You’re right. I will never believe it. No dog can “do good” or “thrive” on floor sweepings. Not possible.

Frank J. Casella

I’ve been trying to tell you all that Shep does great for my Dog’s and you just won’t believe it. Though Aldi is my go to store, it took a really long time before I buy Shep. So why don’t we just leave it at that!

Bob K

I am on foster dog # 50 in 5 years and not one has had a dog food that is rated less than 4 stars. If you look at the price of Shep for 30%-40% more expense you can be feeding your dog a 3.5 or 4 star food if you shop wisely. Pure Balance at Walmart, Diamond Natural and Nutro Max at Menards to name a few and perhaps Eagle Pack.

Melissaandcrew

I wont adopt out to homes that feed low quality foods. I figure even the poorestt of homes can afford propac.

Frank J. Casella

They ate on rotation Diamond for three years. Chicken, Beef, and Lamb.

LabsRawesome

We’ve been trying to tell Frank,for weeks, that Shep is crap. He just won’t believe it. Everyone thinks he works for Shep/Aldi’s or is somehow affiliated with them.

Storm’s Mom

Which formulae?

Bob K

Grank J – From your perspective it sounds like you are saying this formula is better than starvation. This food is both low cost and low quality, the detailed report above says it all. Kids can be fed junk food for years and they look ok too.

LabsRawesome

No you said your dogs ate Diamond Naturals for 3 years. In your post above.

Frank J. Casella

Yes, on rotation. Forgot to include that. Thanks. Yes, my dog’s now are on a sardine plan too.

LabsRawesome

I have 3 cats all adopted from the local kill shelter. They are on 4health canned and Earthborn grain-free dry. My 2 dogs go thru 4 cans a day of 5 star food (Kirkland cuts) Kibbles are rotated between 3.5 and 4 star grain free kibbles. The dogs also get fresh food. Eggs, sardines, various meats. This morning they got canned dog food topped with 2 scrambled eggs a piece, and Turkey breast meat from the bird I cooked the other day. Dinner will be 1 can for each dog, topped with a whole can of Sardines a piece, and a small amount of kibble. That is how you feed a dog. I would be ashamed of myself if I fed my dogs floor sweepings.

JellyCat

All my pets are rescues except the one and none eat awful and harmful foods.

Frank J. Casella

What’s with the language? Cant that get you flagged my Dr. Mike? Can’t we have a friendly conversation? By the way, both my dog’s are rescues. Once came with severe agression towards women. Now he is a dog again. I don’t take what you said lightly, and niether should you. We all love dog’s here, don’t we, no matter if we agree on feed or not?

LabsRawesome

The same food for 3 Years? That right there shows you have no idea what you are doing. Dog food should be rotated (different brands/manufacturers) daily, weekly, or at least monthly.

LabsRawesome

Yes. yes he does. He has NO Idea what he’s talking about….

JellyCat

Look at the ingredients. Did you notice this food contains artificial colors? Do you really feel good about feeding this to your dogs?

Frank J. Casella

Good point! I’ve fed my dog’s every brand made by Diamond, as well as Innova, Wellness, Nutro Max, and Canadae. By the way, Chicken Soup For the Dog Lovers Soul is know for being and smelling so fresh a human can eat it. Shep smells the same to me and my kids agree. My dogs walked away from the bowl on the last bag of Diamond Naturals, and that was just from smelling it. They ate it for three years.

So, if your dog likes the smell of chocolate and a kibble comes out that smells like chocolate, that’s a good reason to feed it to your dog?! Dogs don’t care 2 hoots about “texture”, humans do. Dog food companies know that and they’ve marketed crap foods accordingly – TO YOU. And you’ve fallen for it.

Without telling us what other foods (except one) you’ve fed your dogs before, we’re unable to determine what other reason there might be for your dogs “miraculous” recovery. Coincidence? I think not.

LabsRawesome

Shep is definitely not quality dog food. Just read the review above, written by Dr. Mike Sagman. It is basically the bottom of the barrel, or floor, as it is made from floor sweepings. The ingredient list speaks for itself, and the 8 dollar price for a 20lb bag, should be a really big clue, to the “quality” or lack thereof, of this food.

hanoverboxer

The subject of Frank’s next post: Why kicking the dog can be good for him, because it instills discipline!

Frank J. Casella

Shep dry dog food might be a one star food, but if money is tight and push comes to shove, I would feed my dog Shep before Dog Chow or Beniful. Every person is entitiled to their own opinion. My experience, and my opinion, has been that my dog’s do very well on Shep and they have been fed dog food across all the stars on this site. I can only share with you my experiences.

There are many “regulars” on this website who can give you a low cost alternative they say is better than Shep. Some will even tell you that Shep is junk. But every dog is different, and you don’t know unless you feed it and see what it does. One of my dog’s has a sesnitive stomach, and with Shep it is gone. The other dog has a limp from a ruputured ligament, and with Shep that is gone. Their eyes are bright; their breath doesn’t stink; their coats are full and shiny; they are alive lke a puppy; and they poop just fine.

If you shop Aldi you know, low cost does not mean low quality. So, with Shep Dry Dog Food you can’t go by ingredients alone. Smell of the dog food and texture play into it as well. My family truly feels good about feeding Shep to our dog’s everyday. If that every changes, I’ll be sure to come back here and let you know.

Pattyvaughn

He didn’t believe anybody, like reading a label takes a doctorate or something.

LabsRawesome

I don’t know, but he got all mad at me when I said Shep was a 1 star food. He was like I’ll wait for the review! Um, I guess he didn’t believe me when I said I knew how to read dog food labels. I told him Shep was mill waste. It’s really not all that hard to figure out, once you know what to look for. lol.

Cyndi

Wow! No wonder clueless people buy it! Poor dogs!

beaglemom

I had to stop in just to see what all the fuss was about… as I recall, it was ~$8.99 for 19 pounds? Something like that.

Cyndi

Lol! Me too!

Cyndi

Lol! Me too! It does help having someone else do it for you!

Pattyvaughn

LOL!!! I have way too much trouble thinking for myself sometimes!!

Pattyvaughn

I did it.

Cyndi

Good idea Patty! It’s a good thing I have you to think for me sometimes! Lol!

Pattyvaughn

You could try posting a reply to him on the Natura recall thread.

Betsy Greer

Oh, my… gross.

Cyndi

I’m really curious to know how much a bag of Shep costs, considering the store is pretty cheap to begin with. I wish I would have thought to look at that when I took those pictures. I hardly ever go to Aldi, but I guess I’ll stop in there next time I go by just to see the price.

beaglemom

LOL. Woohoo, Shep! Funny (and sad) to finally see it here after all that.

Storm’s Mom

I was just thinking the same thing!!

Cyndi

Where’s that Frank guy that got converted off this Shep food to see it’s rating?